Many domesticated animals (e.g., pets) are prone to anxiety. For example, it has been estimated that over 17% of all pets suffer anxiety due loud noises (e.g., thunder). Considering that approximately 36.5% of all households in the United States own a pet, it can be estimated that more than 40 million households have pets that are prone to anxiety.
Existing treatments for animal anxiety and excitability have drawbacks. One existing anxiety treatment is medication (e.g., XANAX™, Benzodiazepines, etc.). This treatment, however, requires the animal caregiver to be present to administer the medication, which may not be possible. For example, a pet owner, while at work, may not be able to administer a drug treatment during an episode of anxiety. Further, a drug may take time (e.g., 30-60 minutes) to become effective. As a result, drug therapy may not be effective in mitigating anxiety that results from transient events (e.g., a fast moving thunderstorm, fireworks, etc.). What is more, drug therapies are considered by many as unhealthy or punitive treatments for occasional anxiety and excitability. As a result, a pet owner may be reluctant to administer drugs due to a fear of side effects or for ethical reasons.
One drug-free anxiety treatment for animals is a close-fitting jacket that provides the pet (e.g., dog, cat, etc.) comfort in times of stress. The jacket, however, may irritate or overheat an animal when worn for extended periods. As a result, an owner typically outfits the animal with the jacket in times of stress only, thereby limiting the jacket's usefulness when the owner is away from the pet. In addition, the jacket may be too heavy or cumbersome for small animals.
Another drug-free anxiety treatment for animals is sound. Calming music, for example, may help reduce an animal's stress. Calming music, however, may be difficult to hear, and as a result, ineffective in loud environments (e.g., a thunderstorm). Further, music's calming effect may be highly variable (e.g., animal and/or situation dependent). As a result, a caregiver may need to determine the most effective sounds/music for a given situation.
In each of these approaches, a human is required to determine when a pet becomes nervous/excited and to provide an appropriate response. Often, however, humans are not with pets when they are suffering from anxiety. Indeed some anxiety is caused by the fact that the owner is not with the pet. A need, therefore, exists for a means reduce an animal's anxiety without the need for the animal caregiver to be present.